Primary keyword driven: India to Restore Full Visa Services for Bangladesh in staged diplomatic reset

India is preparing to restore full visa services for Bangladeshi citizens. The move indicates easing tensions after long disruption. Senior consular official Aniruddha Das said work is in progress. The plan aims to reopen all visa categories in stages. Limited visa processing has already restarted, mainly for urgent needs.

Das spoke at the Sylhet District Press Club about the current scope. Medical visas and double-entry visas are being issued now. Other visa types, including travel, are expected later. India is not returning to earlier daily volumes at once. The approach is gradual, based on safety and operational readiness.

Das linked the visa services restart to a wider diplomatic reset between the neighbours. "Medical and double-entry visas are being issued now, and steps are under way to resume other categories, including travel visas," Das said. Das also said relations rest on mutual respect. Das added that ordinary citizens matter most for rebuilding trust.

Visa services stopped nationwide on 8 August 2024 during the July uprising. That upheaval removed the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina. India called the conditions an "unstable situation" and shut all Indian Visa Application Centres across Bangladesh. The shutdown applied to all centres and halted regular visa processing.

Further trouble followed in November 2025 after anti-India protests. The protests came after the death of radical leader Osman Hadi. IVACs in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi closed in stages. By 17 December 2025, India stopped nearly all remaining visa services. India cited security threats to its missions.

Bangladesh responded with reciprocal restrictions on visa services. Bangladesh suspended visas at its consulates in New Delhi, Kolkata and Agartala. The tit-for-tat steps deepened disruption for travellers and patients. Before the crisis, India reportedly issued around 8,000 visas daily. After restrictions, issuance fell to about 1,500 per day.

Visa services and political shift in Bangladesh

Ties worsened during the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. Anti-India rhetoric rose, alongside public anger over perceptions of New Delhi’s support. The atmosphere shifted after the 12 February election. Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Tarique Rahman became Prime Minister. Both sides then signalled interest in stabilising relations.

The planned return of full visa services is more than routine processing. It serves as a visible diplomatic signal after months of tension and protest. The restart is expected to happen in phases, not overnight. For now, medical and double-entry visas remain the core services. Wider categories will reopen as the process advances.